Substrate processing system, substrate processing method, and program

Abstract

This substrate processing system comprises: a batch processing unit that processes a plurality of substrates all together; a substrate-by-substrate processing unit that processes the substrates one at a time; a link unit that relays the substrates between the batch processing unit and the substrate-by-substrate processing unit; and a control circuit. The link unit has an immersion tank for retaining a first processing liquid in which the plurality of substrates are to be immersed. The control circuit performs a control for monitoring movement stop times of the respective substrates in the link unit, and a control for setting, as a substrate to be subjected to rescue processing, a substrate of which the movement stop time has exceeded a threshold before or after being immersed in the first processing liquid.

Description

Substrate Processing System, Substrate Processing Method, and Program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing system, a substrate processing method, and a program.

[0002] A substrate processing system including a batch processing unit and a single wafer processing unit is known. The batch processing unit performs batch processing for collectively processing a lot including a plurality of substrates. The single wafer processing unit performs single wafer processing for processing each substrate one by one.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-155280, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-178486

[0004] One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a technique for improving the yield of substrate processing.

[0005] A substrate processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a batch processing unit that collectively processes a plurality of substrates, a single wafer processing unit that processes each of the substrates one by one, a link unit that relays the substrates between the batch processing unit and the single wafer processing unit, and a control circuit. The link unit has an immersion tank that stores a first processing liquid in which the plurality of substrates are immersed. The control circuit performs control for monitoring the movement stop time of the substrates in the link unit and control for setting the substrates whose movement stop time exceeds a threshold value before or after immersion in the first processing liquid as targets for remedial processing.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the yield of substrate processing can be improved.

[0007] Figure 1 is a plan view showing an example of a substrate processing system. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing system. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the collapse of the uneven pattern on the substrate. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a substrate processing method. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a liquid processing apparatus. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of etching of the substrate surface. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the change in the average collapse rate of the uneven pattern according to the supply time of SC1. Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the change in the collapse rate distribution of the uneven pattern according to the supply time of SC1. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the liquid processing apparatus. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of substrate vibration. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a first transition apparatus. Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an immersion tank, a first transport device, and a first ultrasonic transducer.

[0008] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, identical or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions may be omitted. In each drawing, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions are perpendicular to each other, the X-axis and Y-axis directions are horizontal, and the Z-axis direction is vertical.

[0009] The X-axis direction includes the positive X-axis direction and the negative X-axis direction, which is the opposite direction to the positive X-axis direction. The Y-axis direction includes the positive Y-axis direction and the negative Y-axis direction, which is the opposite direction to the positive Y-axis direction. The Z-axis direction includes the positive Z-axis direction and the negative Z-axis direction, which is the opposite direction to the positive Z-axis direction. The positive Z-axis direction is upward, and the negative Z-axis direction is downward.

[0010] Referring to Figure 1, a substrate processing system 1 according to an embodiment will be described. The substrate processing system 1 includes, for example, an input / output unit 2, an interface unit 3, a batch processing unit 4, a link unit 5, a single-wafer processing unit 6, and a control circuit 9. The input / output unit 2, the interface unit 3, the link unit 5, and the batch processing unit 4 may be arranged in this order, from the negative X-axis side to the positive X-axis side. The single-wafer processing unit 6 may be arranged on the positive Y-axis side of the interface unit 3 and on the negative X-axis side of the link unit 5.

[0011] The loading / unloading section 2 serves as both the loading and unloading section. This allows the substrate processing system 1 to be miniaturized. The loading / unloading section 2 includes, for example, a load port 21, a stocker 22, a loader 23, and a cassette transport device 24.

[0012] Multiple load ports 21 are arranged along the Y-axis (for example, four). The number of load ports 21 is not particularly limited. Cassettes C are loaded into and out of the load ports 21. Cassette C contains multiple circuit boards W (for example, 25). Inside Cassette C, multiple circuit boards W are arranged along the Z-axis, and each of the multiple circuit boards W is held horizontally.

[0013] The stockers 22 are arranged adjacent to the load port 21 and in multiple (e.g., four) configurations along the Y-axis. The stockers 22 are also arranged adjacent to the interface section 3 and in multiple (e.g., two) configurations along the Y-axis. The stockers 22 may be arranged in multiple stages along the Z-axis. The stockers 22 temporarily store the cassette C. The cassette C may contain a circuit board W or be empty. The number of stockers 22 is not particularly limited.

[0014] The loader 23 is adjacent to the interface section 3. The cassette C is placed on the loader 23. The loader 23 is provided with a lid opening / closing mechanism (not shown) for opening and closing the lid of the cassette C. Multiple loaders 23 may be provided. The loaders 23 may be arranged in multiple stages along the Z-axis.

[0015] The cassette transport device 24 transports the cassette C between the load port 21, the stocker 22, and the loader 23. By transporting the cassette C, the cassette transport device 24 transports multiple (for example, 25) substrates W at once. The cassette transport device 24 may also transport empty cassette C. The cassette transport device 24 is, for example, a multi-joint transport robot.

[0016] The interface unit 3 relays the substrate W between the loading / unloading unit 2, the batch processing unit 4, and the single-wafer processing unit 6. The interface unit 3 includes, for example, a substrate transfer device 31, a lot formation unit 32, and a second transition device 33.

[0017] The substrate transfer device 31 transports the substrates W between the cassette C placed on the loader 23, the lot formation unit 32, and the second transition device 33. The substrate transfer device 31 takes out multiple substrates W (for example, 25) at once from the cassette C placed on the loader 23 and transports them to the lot formation unit 32. The substrate transfer device 31 may change the orientation of the substrates W before transporting them to the lot formation unit 32. For example, the substrates W may be changed from a horizontal state to a vertical state. The substrate transfer device 31 also receives multiple substrates W (for example, 25) at once from the second transition device 33 and loads them into an empty cassette C placed on the loader 23.

[0018] The lot formation unit 32 forms a lot consisting of multiple substrates W. The lot formation unit 32 forms a lot by combining multiple substrates W (for example, 25) taken out of one cassette C with multiple substrates W (for example, 25) taken out of another cassette C. The number of substrates W constituting the lot is not limited to 50, but may be, for example, 100. The lot formation unit 32 arranges the multiple substrates W along the Y axis and holds each of the multiple substrates W vertically.

[0019] The second transition device 33 is adjacent to the single-wafer processing unit 6. The second transition device 33 receives the substrates W from the fourth transport device 61 and temporarily stores them until they are handed over to the substrate transfer device 31. The second transition device 33, for example, arranges multiple substrates W along the Z-axis and holds each of the multiple substrates W horizontally.

[0020] The batch processing unit 4 processes multiple substrates W (for example, 50 or 100) in batch units. The batch processing unit 4 processes multiple substrates W at once by immersing them in a processing solution. The processing solution includes a chemical solution and a rinsing solution for washing away the chemical solution. The batch processing unit 4 includes, for example, a chemical solution tank 41, a rinsing solution tank 42, a third transport device 43, a holder 44, and a drive device 45.

[0021] The chemical solution tank 41 and the rinse solution tank 42 are arranged along the X-axis. For example, the chemical solution tank 41 and the rinse solution tank 42 are arranged in this order from the positive side of the X-axis to the negative side of the X-axis. The chemical solution tank 41 and the rinse solution tank 42 are collectively referred to as the treatment tank. The number of chemical solution tanks 41 and rinse solution tanks 42 is not limited to that shown in Figure 1. For example, although there is one set of chemical solution tank 41 and rinse solution tank 42 in Figure 1, there may be multiple sets.

[0022] The chemical tank 41 stores a chemical solution into which multiple substrates W are immersed in a lot. The chemical solution is, for example, an aqueous phosphoric acid solution (H ３ PO ４ The phosphoric acid aqueous solution selectively etches and removes the silicon nitride film from the silicon oxide film. The chemical solution is not limited to phosphoric acid aqueous solution. The chemical solution may also be DHF (dilute hydrofluoric acid), BHF (mixture of hydrofluoric acid and ammonium fluoride), dilute sulfuric acid, SPM (mixture of sulfuric acid, hydrogen peroxide and water), SC1 (mixture of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide and water), SC2 (mixture of hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide and water), TMAH (mixture of tetramethylammonium hydroxide and water), plating solution, etc. The chemical solution may be for stripping treatment or plating treatment. The number of chemical solutions is not particularly limited and may be multiple.

[0023] The rinsing solution tank 42 stores a rinsing solution in which multiple substrates W are immersed in a lot. The rinsing solution may be pure water, or for example, DIW (deionized water).

[0024] The third transport device 43 transports multiple substrates W in batch units between the interface unit 3, the batch processing unit 4, and the link unit 5. The third transport device 43 has a guide rail 43a and a third transport arm 43b. The guide rail 43a is positioned on the negative side of the Y-axis from the chemical tank 41 and the rinse liquid tank 42. The guide rail 43a extends along the X-axis from the interface unit 3 through the link unit 5 to the batch processing unit 4. The third transport arm 43b moves along the guide rail 43a while arranging the multiple substrates W along the Y-axis and holding each of the multiple substrates W vertically. The third transport arm 43b may move along the Z-axis or rotate around the Z-axis.

[0025] The holder 44 receives multiple substrates W in lot units from the third transport device 43 and holds them. Similar to the third transport device 43, the holder 44 arranges the multiple substrates W along the Y-axis and holds each of the multiple substrates W vertically.

[0026] The drive unit 45 moves the holder 44 along the X and Z axes. The drive unit 45 immerses the multiple substrates W held by the holder 44 in the chemical solution stored in the chemical solution tank 41, then in the rinsing solution stored in the rinsing solution tank 42, and finally transfers them from the holder 44 to the third transport arm 43b.

[0027] In this embodiment, there is only one unit for the holder 44 and the drive unit 45, but there may be more. The unit for immersing the substrate W in the chemical solution stored in the chemical solution tank 41 and the unit for immersing the substrate W in the rinsing solution stored in the rinsing solution tank 42 may be provided separately. In this case, the drive unit 45 only needs to move the holder 44 along the Z-axis, and does not need to move the holder 44 along the X-axis.

[0028] The link section 5 relays the substrate W between the batch processing section 4 and the single-wafer processing section 6. The link section 5 includes, for example, an immersion tank 51, a first transport device 52, a second transport device 53, and a first transition device 54.

[0029] The immersion tank 51 is positioned outside the movement range of the third transport arm 43b. For example, the immersion tank 51 is positioned on the positive side of the Y-axis within the movement range of the third transport arm 43b. The immersion tank 51 stores a first processing liquid in which multiple substrates W are immersed in a lot. The first processing liquid is pure water, such as DIW (deionized water). By immersing the substrates W in the first processing liquid during the waiting time, the collapse of the uneven pattern on the substrates W can be prevented.

[0030] The first transport device 52 receives multiple substrates W in lot units from the batch processing unit 4 and immerses them in the first processing liquid. Specifically, for example, the first transport device 52 receives multiple substrates W in lot units from the third transport device 43 and immerses them in the first processing liquid stored in the immersion tank 51. The first transport device 52 includes a Y-axis drive device 52a, a Z-axis drive device 52b, and a first transport arm 52c.

[0031] The Y-axis drive unit 52a moves the Z-axis drive unit 52b and the first transport arm 52c along the Y-axis. The Y-axis drive unit 52a includes, for example, a motor and a ball screw that converts the motor's motion into linear motion. The Y-axis drive unit 52a is positioned on the positive X-axis side of the immersion tank 51.

[0032] The Z-axis drive device 52b moves the first transport arm 52c along the Z-axis. The Z-axis drive device 52b includes, for example, a motor and a ball screw that converts the motor's motion into linear motion.

[0033] The first transport arm 52c receives and holds multiple substrates W in lot units from the third transport arm 43b. The first transport arm 52c arranges the multiple substrates W along the Y-axis and holds each of the multiple substrates W vertically. The first transport arm 52c is configured to be movable between multiple positions, including a handover position, an immersion position, and a standby position.

[0034] The transfer position is the position where the lot is transferred between the third transport arm 43b and the first transport arm 52c. The transfer position is within the movement range of the third transport arm 43b and is located on the negative side of the Y-axis of the immersion tank 51.

[0035] The immersion position is the position where multiple substrates W are immersed in the first processing solution in lot units. The immersion position is located inside the immersion tank 51.

[0036] The standby position is the position where the first transport arm 52c waits when it is not holding the substrate W. Preferably, the standby position is different from the handover position. Preferably, it is a position that does not obstruct the movement of the third transport arm 43b. For example, the standby position may be directly below the handover position (negative Z-axis side). In this case, the standby position and the handover position are close together, improving throughput.

[0037] The standby position may be the same as the immersion position. In this case, it is possible to prevent particles generated by the movement of the third transport arm 43b from adhering to the first transport arm 52c. The standby position may also be directly above the immersion position (positive Z-axis side). The standby position may be a different position from the handover position.

[0038] The second transfer device 53 is, for example, composed of a multi-axis (e.g., 6-axis) articulated robot and has a second transfer arm 53a at its tip. The second transfer arm 53a has holding claws (not shown) capable of holding one substrate W. The second transfer arm 53a can take an arbitrary position and orientation in a three-dimensional space while holding the substrate W by the holding claws.

[0039] The second transfer device 53 receives the substrate W immersed in the first processing liquid from the first transfer device 52 and transfers it to the first transition device 54. Since the immersion tank 51 is arranged outside the movement range of the third transfer arm 43b, the third transfer arm 43b and the second transfer arm 53a do not interfere with each other. Therefore, the third transfer device 43 and the second transfer device 53 can be operated simultaneously, improving the productivity of the substrate processing system 1.

[0040] The first transition device 54 stores the substrate W after immersion in the first processing liquid and before unloading to the single-sheet processing unit 6. The first transition device 54 holds the substrate W horizontally. The first transition device 54 temporarily stores the substrate W from the time it receives the substrate W from the second transfer device 53 until it delivers it to the fourth transfer device 61. The first transition device 54 may supply a third processing liquid to the substrate W in order to suppress the collapse of the uneven pattern of the substrate W. The third processing liquid is, for example, pure water such as DIW. Note that the first transition device 54 may not supply the third processing liquid to the substrate W. The number of the first transition devices 54 may be one or more. Details of the first transition device 54 will be described later.

[0041] The single-sheet processing unit 6 processes the substrates W one by one. The single-sheet processing unit 6 includes, for example, a fourth transfer device 61, a liquid processing device 62, and a drying device 63. The liquid processing device 62 and the drying device 63 process the substrates W one by one. Note that the single-sheet processing unit may have at least one single-sheet processing device that processes the substrates W one by one. Devices other than the liquid processing device 62 and the drying device 63 may be arranged in the single-sheet processing unit 6.

[0042] The fourth transfer device 61 includes a guide rail 61a and a fourth transfer arm 61b. The guide rail 61a is arranged adjacent to the interface portion 3 and extends along the X-axis. The fourth transfer arm 61b moves along the guide rail 61a. The fourth transfer arm 61b is also capable of moving along the Y-axis and rotating around the Z-axis. The fourth transfer arm 61b transfers the substrate W between the first transition device 54, the liquid processing device 62, the drying device 63, and the second transition device 33. The number of the fourth transfer arms 61b may be one or more. In the latter case, the fourth transfer device 61 transfers a plurality of substrates W (for example, five substrates W) at once.

[0043] The liquid processing device 62 processes the substrate W one by one with the second processing liquid. The liquid processing device 62 rotates the substrate W and supplies the second processing liquid to the substrate W. The liquid processing device 62 is arranged in multiple stages (for example, three stages) along the Z-axis. Thereby, a plurality of substrates W can be processed with the second processing liquid simultaneously. The second processing liquid includes, for example, pure water such as DIW and a drying liquid having a lower surface tension than pure water. The drying liquid may be an alcohol such as IPA (isopropyl alcohol).

[0044] The drying device 63 dries the substrate W one by one. The drying device 63 dries the substrate W by, for example, replacing the drying liquid applied by the liquid processing device 62 with a supercritical fluid. The drying device 63 is arranged in multiple stages (for example, three stages) along the Z-axis. Thereby, a plurality of substrates W can be dried simultaneously.

[0045] The drying method of the substrate W is not particularly limited. For example, spin drying, scan drying, or water-repellent drying may be used. Spin drying shakes off the drying liquid from the substrate W by centrifugal force while rotating the substrate W. Scan drying moves the supply position of the drying liquid from the center of the substrate W toward the outer periphery of the substrate W when shaking off the drying liquid from the substrate W in the same manner as spin drying. Scan drying may further move the supply position of a drying gas such as nitrogen gas from the center of the substrate W toward the outer periphery of the substrate W so as to follow the supply position of the drying liquid.

[0046] The control circuit 9 is, for example, a computer and comprises an arithmetic unit 91 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage unit 92 such as memory. The storage unit 92 stores programs that control various processes executed in the board processing system 1. The control circuit 9 controls the operation of the board processing system 1 by causing the arithmetic unit 91 to execute the programs stored in the storage unit 92. A lower-level control circuit is provided for each device constituting the board processing system 1 to control the operation of that device, and a higher-level control circuit may be provided to comprehensively control multiple lower-level control circuits. The control circuit 9 may be composed of lower-level control circuits and a higher-level control circuit.

[0047] The program, or computer program product, is supplied in a form recorded on a removable storage medium. The removable storage medium may be a memory card, optical disc, or HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The control circuit 9 reads the program from the removable storage medium and stores it in the storage unit 92. The program may also be pre-written to the storage medium of the storage unit 92. The storage medium of the storage unit 92 may be an HDD, SSD (Solid State Drive), or EEPROM (Electronically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory). Furthermore, the control circuit 9 may acquire programs distributed by remote server devices via a network or other communication.

[0048] The control circuit 9 includes electronic circuits such as a CPU, GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control circuit 9 performs the various control operations described in this specification by executing instruction codes stored in a storage medium such as memory, or by being designed as a circuit for a special application.

[0049] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, an example of the operation of the substrate processing system 1 will be described. Steps S101 to S105 shown in Figure 2 are performed under the control of the control circuit 9.

[0050] First, cassette C, containing multiple circuit boards W, is loaded into the loading / unloading section 2 and placed on the load port 21. Next, the cassette transport device 24 removes cassette C from the load port 21 and transports it to the loader 23. Then, the lid opening / closing mechanism opens the lid of cassette C, which is placed on the loader 23.

[0051] Next, the substrate transfer device 31 removes multiple substrates (for example, 25) W from the cassette C placed on the loader 23 all at once and transports them to the lot formation unit 32. The substrate transfer device 31 may change the orientation of the substrates W before transporting them to the lot formation unit 32. For example, the substrates W may be changed from a horizontal position to a vertical position.

[0052] Next, the lot formation unit 32 forms a lot consisting of multiple substrates W (for example, 50 or 100) (step S101). The lot formation unit 32 arranges the multiple substrates W along the Y-axis and holds each of the multiple substrates W vertically. Next, the third transport device 43 receives the multiple substrates W in lot units from the lot formation unit 32 and transports them to the holder 44 of the batch processing unit 4.

[0053] Next, the batch processing unit 4 processes the multiple substrates W in lot units (step S102). Specifically, for example, the drive unit 45 immerses the multiple substrates W held by the holder 44 in the chemical solution stored in the chemical solution tank 41, then immerses them in the rinsing solution stored in the rinsing solution tank 42, and finally passes them from the holder 44 to the third transport device 43. Next, the third transport device 43 passes the multiple substrates W in lot units to the first transport device 52.

[0054] Next, the first transport device 52 receives multiple substrates W in lots from the third transport device 43 and immerses them in the first processing liquid stored in the immersion tank 51 (step S103). The first processing liquid is, for example, pure water such as DIW. Immersion in the first processing liquid prevents the collapse of the uneven pattern of the substrates W. Next, the second transport device 53 receives the substrates W that are immersed in the first processing liquid from the first transport device 52 and transports them to the first transition device 54. The second transport device 53 transports the substrates W one by one.

[0055] The first transition device 54 stores the substrate W after immersion in the first processing liquid and before delivery to the single-wafer processing unit 6 (step S104). The first transition device 54 holds the substrate W horizontally. The first transition device 54 temporarily stores the substrate W from the second transport device 53 until it is handed over to the fourth transport device 61. The first transition device 54 may supply the substrate W with a third processing liquid to prevent collapse of the uneven pattern of the substrate W. The third processing liquid is, for example, pure water such as DIW. Subsequently, the fourth transport device 61 receives the substrate W from the first transition device 54 and transports it to the liquid processing device 62 of the single-wafer processing unit 6.

[0056] Next, the single-wafer processing unit 6 processes the substrates W one by one (step S105). Specifically, for example, first, the liquid processing unit 62 processes the substrates W with a second processing liquid. For example, the liquid processing unit 62 supplies pure water and a drying liquid in that order as the second processing liquid to form a liquid film of the drying liquid. After that, the substrates W are received from the liquid processing unit 62 and transported to the drying unit 63. Next, the drying unit 63 replaces the liquid film of the drying liquid formed on the substrates W with a supercritical fluid and dries the substrates W. Supercritical drying requires a pressure vessel, so in order to miniaturize the pressure vessel, it is performed in single-wafer processing rather than batch processing.

[0057] Subsequently, the fourth transport device 61 receives the substrates W from the drying device 63 and transports them to the second transition device 33. Next, the substrate transfer device 31 receives multiple substrates W (for example, 25) at once from the second transition device 33 and loads them into an empty cassette C placed on the loader 23. The cassette C, containing the multiple substrates W, is then discharged from the loading / unloading section 2.

[0058] Referring to Figure 3, an example of the collapse of the uneven pattern on the substrate W will be described. The substrate W has an uneven pattern on its surface Wa. The uneven pattern on the substrate W may be a pattern containing multiple pillars, a pattern containing multiple holes, a line and space pattern, or a circuit pattern for a 3D NAND memory.

[0059] In the link section 5, the surface Wa of the substrate W is covered with a liquid such as pure water L0 to suppress the collapse of the uneven pattern. However, the processing of the substrate W may be interrupted due to a power outage or malfunction. As a result, the substrate surface Wa may dry out, a gas-liquid interface may appear on the substrate surface Wa, and surface tension may act on the substrate surface Wa.

[0060] When the processing of substrate W is interrupted, it is not possible to control the drying of the substrate surface Wa, and uneven drying of the substrate surface Wa is likely to occur. Uneven drying of the substrate surface Wa causes variations in surface tension. Variations in surface tension can cause the protrusions to tilt and the tips of adjacent protrusions to stick together.

[0061] Referring to Figure 4, an example of a substrate processing method will be described. Steps S201 to S204 shown in Figure 4 are performed under the control of a control circuit 9. The control circuit 9 monitors the movement stop time T of the substrate W in the link section 5 (step S201). The link section 5 includes, for example, an immersion tank 51, a first transport device 52, a second transport device 53, and a first transition device 54. The movement stop time includes power outage time or malfunction time.

[0062] The object to be monitored in step S201 is the substrate W before or after immersion in the first processing liquid stored in the immersion tank 51. Since the substrate W does not dry out while immersed in the first processing liquid, it is not necessary to monitor the movement stop time T. The control circuit 9 monitors the movement stop time T of at least one of the following: (1) the substrate W being transported by the first transport device 52, (2) the substrate W being stored in the first transition device 54, and (3) the substrate W being transported by the second transport device 53.

[0063] The control circuit 9 checks whether the movement stop time T exceeds the threshold T0 (step S202). If the movement stop time T does not exceed the threshold T0 (step S202), the substrate W does not dry, so the control circuit 9 terminates the process. On the other hand, if the movement stop time T exceeds the threshold T0 (step S203), the substrate W dries.

[0064] The control circuit 9 sets any substrate W whose movement stop time T exceeds the threshold T0 before or after immersion in the first processing solution as a target for rescue processing (step S204). Rescue processing is, for example, a process to repair uneven patterns. The process to repair uneven patterns, as will be described in detail later, includes at least one of supplying an etching solution to the substrate surface Wa and applying vibration to the substrate W.

[0065] The control circuit 9 performs a repair process (step S205). The repair process may be performed by either the link section 5 or the single-wafer processing section 6. The details of the repair process for uneven patterns will be described below.

[0066] Referring to Figure 5, an example of the liquid processing apparatus 62 will be described. The liquid processing apparatus 62 processes each substrate W with the second processing liquid. The liquid processing apparatus 62 rotates the substrate W and supplies the second processing liquid to the substrate W. The liquid processing apparatus 62 includes, for example, a processing container 110, a substrate holding part 120, a substrate rotating part 125, a nozzle 130, a nozzle moving part 135, a cup 140, a drain pipe 141, and an exhaust pipe 142.

[0067] The processing container 110 houses the substrate holder 120 and the like. The side wall of the processing container 110 is provided with a gate 111 and a gate valve 112 for opening and closing the gate 111. The substrate W is transported into the processing container 110 via the gate 111 by the fourth transport device 61 shown in Figure 1. Next, the substrate W is processed with the second processing liquid inside the processing container 110. After that, the substrate W is transported out of the processing container 110 via the gate 111 by the fourth transport device 61.

[0068] The substrate holding portion 120 is provided inside the processing container 110 and holds the substrate W horizontally. The substrate holding portion 120 has, for example, claw portions 121 that hold the outer periphery of the substrate W. Multiple claw portions 121 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the substrate W. Although not shown, the substrate holding portion 120 may also use vacuum suction to hold the lower surface of the substrate W.

[0069] The substrate rotating unit 125 rotates the substrate holding unit 120, thereby rotating the substrate W together with the substrate holding unit 120. The substrate rotating unit 125 includes, for example, a motor and a transmission mechanism that transmits the rotational motion of the motor to the substrate holding unit 120. The transmission mechanism includes a timing belt or gears.

[0070] The nozzle 130 supplies a second processing liquid to the substrate W. The nozzle 130 supplies the second processing liquid to, for example, a rotating substrate W. The second processing liquid includes, for example, pure water such as DIW and a drying liquid with a lower surface tension than pure water. The drying liquid may be an alcohol such as IPA (isopropyl alcohol). The nozzle 130 supplies the pure water and the drying liquid to the substrate W in this order. The pure water and the drying liquid may be supplied by the same nozzle 130 or by different nozzles 130.

[0071] The second processing solution may include an etching solution L1 supplied to the substrate W to be repaired. The etching solution L1 etches the substrate surface Wa as shown in Figure 6. The etching solution L1 separates the adhering protrusions from each other and repairs the collapse of the uneven pattern. After the supply of the etching solution L1, pure water L0 is supplied to stop the etching. The etching solution L1 may be supplied through the same nozzle 130 as the pure water L0, or through a different nozzle 130.

[0072] The etching solution L1 is preferably alkaline from the viewpoint of maintaining the hydrophilicity of the substrate surface Wa. An example of an alkaline etching solution L1 is SC1 (a mixture of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and water). Maintaining the hydrophilicity of the substrate surface Wa can suppress, for example, the adhesion of particles. The etching solution L1 may also be acidic, as long as it can repair the collapse of the uneven pattern.

[0073] The etching solution L1 may be supplied to at least one of the following: (1) a substrate W whose T exceeds T0 while being transported by the first transport device 52; (2) a substrate W whose T exceeds T0 while being stored in the first transition device 54; or (3) a substrate W whose T exceeds T0 while being transported by the second transport device 53. The etching solution L1 only needs to be supplied to the substrate W that is to be salvaged, and does not need to be supplied to the substrate W that does not require salvage treatment. After the salvage treatment is performed on the substrate W that is to be salvaged, the same normal treatment is performed as on the substrate W that does not require salvage treatment.

[0074] The nozzle moving unit 135 moves the nozzle 130 horizontally. The nozzle moving unit 135 also moves the nozzle 130 radially across the substrate W. The nozzle moving unit 135 includes, for example, an arm 136 that holds the nozzle 130 and a drive unit 137 that rotates the arm 136. The drive unit 137 may raise and lower the arm 136. The drive unit 137 includes a motor or the like.

[0075] When the nozzle 130 supplies the etching solution L1 to the substrate W, the nozzle moving unit 135 may move the nozzle 130 in the radial direction of the substrate W. The nozzle moving unit 135 may move the nozzle 130 either radially outward or radially inward of the substrate W, or it may move it alternately radially outward and radially inward. Also, when the nozzle 130 supplies the etching solution L1 to the substrate W, the substrate rotating unit 125 may rotate the substrate W together with the substrate holding unit 120. The substrate surface Wa can be etched uniformly over the entire radial direction of the substrate W.

[0076] The cup 140 surrounds the outer periphery of the substrate W held by the substrate holding section 120 and collects the second processing liquid that splashes from the outer periphery of the substrate W. A drain pipe 141 and an exhaust pipe 142 are provided at the bottom of the cup 140. The drain pipe 141 discharges the second processing liquid accumulated inside the cup 140. The exhaust pipe 142 discharges the gas accumulated inside the cup 140.

[0077] An experimental example of the repair process using SC1 will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. The liquid treatment apparatus 62 shown in Figure 5 was used for the SC1 repair process. The rotation speed of the substrate W was 1200 rpm. The SC1 formulation was ammonia (NH₄). ４One part by mass of OH) and hydrogen peroxide (H ２ O ２ ) is 2 parts by mass, and water (H ２ The amount of O) was 50 parts by mass. The temperature of SC1 was 40°C.

[0078] As shown in Figure 7, when the supply time of SC1 was 60 seconds or longer, the etching amount of the substrate surface Wa was approximately 2 Å or more, and the average collapse rate of the uneven pattern was reduced to approximately 1 / 10 or less of the initial value. The longer the supply time, the smaller the average collapse rate. However, when the supply time exceeded 200 seconds, the change in the average collapse rate became more gradual.

[0079] As shown in Figure 8, the collapse rate distribution of the uneven pattern was uniform when the supply time of SC1 was between 60 and 200 seconds. From Figures 7 and 8, it is preferable that the supply time of SC1 be between 60 and 200 seconds.

[0080] A modified example of the liquid processing apparatus 62 will be described with reference to Figure 9. The liquid processing apparatus 62 may have a second ultrasonic transducer 150. The second ultrasonic transducer 150 applies vibration to the substrate W while the second processing liquid is being supplied. The energy of the vibration separates the adhering protrusions from each other, as shown in Figure 10, and repairs the collapse of the uneven pattern. The vibration is applied, for example, while pure water L0 such as DIW is being supplied. Alternatively, the vibration may be applied while etching solution L1 as shown in Figure 6 is being supplied.

[0081] The oscillation frequency of the second ultrasonic transducer 150 is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 1 MHz or higher. From the viewpoint of suppressing damage to the second ultrasonic transducer 150, the oscillation frequency is preferably 50 MHz or lower, and more preferably 10 MHz or lower. The vibration does not have to be a sine wave; it may be a square wave or a pulse wave. The vibration may also be random.

[0082] The second ultrasonic transducer 150 is attached to the nozzle 130 and applies vibration to the substrate W via the second processing liquid. At this time, the nozzle moving part 135 may move the nozzle 130 in the radial direction of the substrate W. This allows vibration to be applied over the entire radial direction of the substrate W. At this time, the substrate rotating part 125 may rotate the substrate W together with the substrate holding part 120. This allows vibration to be applied over the entire circumferential direction of the substrate W.

[0083] Although not shown in the figures, the second ultrasonic transducer 150 may be attached to the substrate holder 120 and apply vibration to the substrate W via the substrate holder 120.

[0084] The second ultrasonic transducer 150 applies vibration to at least one of the following: (1) a substrate W whose T exceeds T0 while being transported by the first transport device 52, (2) a substrate W whose T exceeds T0 while being stored in the first transition device 54, or (3) a substrate W whose T exceeds T0 while being transported by the second transport device 53. The vibration only needs to be applied to the substrate W that is to be salvaged, and does not need to be applied to substrates W that do not require salvage treatment.

[0085] An example of the first transition device 54 will be described with reference to Figure 11. The first transition device 54 stores the substrate W after immersion in the first processing liquid and before being transported to the single-wafer processing unit 6. The first transition device 54 includes, for example, a substrate holding unit 220 and a nozzle 230.

[0086] The substrate holder 220 has a plurality of pins 221. The number of pins 221 is three, but there may be four or more. The plurality of pins 221 hold the substrate W horizontally with the substrate surface Wa facing upward. The substrate holder 220 may also have a pan 222. The pan 222 collects the third processing liquid discharged by the nozzle 230.

[0087] The nozzle 230 discharges the third processing liquid onto the substrate W. The nozzle 230 supplies the third processing liquid to, for example, the center of the substrate surface Wa. The third processing liquid wets and spreads from the center of the substrate surface Wa to the periphery. The third processing liquid is, for example, pure water L0 such as DIW. By supplying the third processing liquid to the substrate W during the waiting time, the collapse of the uneven pattern on the substrate W can be prevented.

[0088] The third processing solution may include an etching solution L1 supplied to the substrate W to be repaired. The etching solution L1 etches the substrate surface Wa as shown in Figure 6. The etching solution L1 separates the adhering protrusions from each other and repairs the collapse of the uneven pattern. After the supply of the etching solution L1, pure water L0 is supplied to stop the etching. The etching solution L1 may be supplied through the same nozzle 230 as the pure water L0, or through a different nozzle 230.

[0089] The etching solution L1 is preferably alkaline from the viewpoint of maintaining the hydrophilicity of the substrate surface Wa. An example of an alkaline etching solution L1 is SC1 (a mixture of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and water). Maintaining the hydrophilicity of the substrate surface Wa can suppress, for example, the adhesion of particles. The etching solution L1 may also be acidic, as long as it can repair the collapse of the uneven pattern.

[0090] The etching solution L1 is supplied to at least one of the following: (1) a substrate W whose T exceeds T0 while being transported by the first transport device 52; (2) a substrate W whose T exceeds T0 while being stored in the first transition device 54; or (3) a substrate W whose T exceeds T0 while being transported by the second transport device 53. The etching solution L1 only needs to be supplied to the substrate W that requires repair, and does not need to be supplied to substrates W that do not require repair.

[0091] The first transition apparatus 54 may also have a third ultrasonic transducer 240. The third ultrasonic transducer 240 applies vibration to the substrate W while the third processing liquid is being supplied. The energy of the vibration separates the adhering protrusions from each other, as shown in Figure 10, and repairs the collapse of the uneven pattern. The vibration is applied, for example, while pure water L0 such as DIW is being supplied. Alternatively, the vibration may be applied while etching solution L1 is being supplied as shown in Figure 6.

[0092] The oscillation frequency of the third ultrasonic transducer 240 is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 1 MHz or higher. From the viewpoint of suppressing damage to the third ultrasonic transducer 240, the oscillation frequency is preferably 50 MHz or lower, and more preferably 10 MHz or lower. The vibration does not have to be a sine wave; it may be a square wave or a pulse wave. The vibration may also be random.

[0093] The third ultrasonic transducer 240 is attached to the nozzle 230 and applies vibration to the substrate W via the third processing liquid. At this time, a nozzle moving part (not shown) may move the nozzle 230 in the radial direction of the substrate W. Also, at this time, a substrate rotating part (not shown) may rotate the substrate W together with the substrate holding part 220. Vibration can be applied over the entire radial direction of the substrate W.

[0094] The third ultrasonic transducer 240 may be attached to the substrate holding portion 220 and apply vibration to the substrate W via the substrate holding portion 220.

[0095] The third ultrasonic transducer 240 applies vibration to at least one of the following: (1) a substrate W whose T exceeds T0 while being transported by the first transport device 52, (2) a substrate W whose T exceeds T0 while being stored in the first transition device 54, or (3) a substrate W whose T exceeds T0 while being transported by the second transport device 53. The vibration only needs to be applied to the substrate W that is to be salvaged, and does not need to be applied to substrates W that do not require salvage treatment.

[0096] Referring to Figure 12, an example of an immersion tank 51, a first transport device 52, and a first ultrasonic transducer 55 will be described. The immersion tank 51 stores a first processing liquid in which multiple substrates W are immersed in a lot. The first processing liquid is pure water L0, such as DIW (deionized water). By immersing the substrates W in the first processing liquid during the waiting time, the collapse of the uneven pattern on the substrates W can be prevented.

[0097] The first transport device 52 has a first transport arm 52c. The first transport arm 52c arranges a plurality of substrates W along the Y-axis and holds each of the plurality of substrates W vertically. The Z-axis drive device 52b moves the first transport arm 52c along the Z-axis and immerses the plurality of substrates W together with the first transport arm 52c in the first processing liquid.

[0098] The first ultrasonic transducer 55 applies vibration to the substrate W while it is immersed in the first processing solution. The vibration energy separates the adhering protrusions from each other, as shown in Figure 10, and repairs the collapse of the uneven pattern.

[0099] The oscillation frequency of the first ultrasonic transducer 55 is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 1 MHz or higher. From the viewpoint of suppressing damage to the first ultrasonic transducer 55, the oscillation frequency is preferably 50 MHz or lower, and more preferably 10 MHz or lower. The vibration does not have to be a sine wave; it may be a square wave or a pulse wave. The vibration may also be random.

[0100] The first ultrasonic transducer 55 is attached, for example, to the bottom wall or side wall of the immersion tank 51 and applies vibration to the substrate W via the first processing liquid. Alternatively, the first ultrasonic transducer 55 may be attached to the first transport arm 52c and apply vibration to the substrate W via the first transport arm 52c.

[0101] The first ultrasonic transducer 55 (1) applies vibration to substrates W whose temperature T exceeds T0 while being transported by the first transport device 52. For example, if a power outage or the like occurs before the first transport device 52 immerses the substrate W in the first processing liquid and T exceeds T0, the first transport device 52 immerses the substrate W in the first processing liquid and then the first ultrasonic transducer 55 applies vibration to the substrate W. The vibration only needs to be applied to substrates W that require remediation, and does not need to be applied to substrates W that do not require remediation.

[0102] The first ultrasonic transducer 55 may apply vibration to at least one of the following: (2) a substrate W whose T exceeds T0 while being stored in the first transition device 54, or (3) a substrate W whose T exceeds T0 while being transported in the second transport device 53. In this case, the second transport device 53 returns the substrate W to the immersion tank 51 and immerses it in the first processing liquid, after which the first ultrasonic transducer 55 applies vibration to the substrate W.

[0103] The above-described remediation process may also be applied to substrates W whose processing has been interrupted due to a power outage or malfunction in the single-wafer processing unit 6, rather than the link unit 5. The control circuit 9 monitors the time the substrate W stops moving in the single-wafer processing unit 6, and sets any substrates W whose time stops exceeding a threshold before the liquid processing device 62 starts supplying the second processing liquid as targets for remediation.

[0104] The embodiments of the substrate processing system, substrate processing method, and program described above have been explained, but this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various changes, modifications, substitutions, additions, deletions, and combinations are possible within the scope of the claims. These also naturally fall within the technical scope of this disclosure.

[0105] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-221419, filed with the Japan Patent Office on December 18, 2024, and the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-221419 are incorporated herein by reference.

[0106] 1. Substrate processing system 4. Batch processing unit 5. Link unit 51. Immersion tank 6. Single-wafer processing unit 9. Control circuit

Claims

1. A substrate processing system comprising: a batch processing unit for processing multiple substrates at once; a single-wafer processing unit for processing the substrates one by one; a link unit for relaying the substrates between the batch processing unit and the single-wafer processing unit; and a control circuit, wherein the link unit has an immersion tank for storing a first processing liquid into which multiple substrates are immersed; and the control circuit performs control to monitor the movement stop time of the substrates in the link unit, and control to set substrates whose movement stop time exceeds a threshold before or after immersion in the first processing liquid as targets for rescue processing.

2. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein the link section has a first transport device that receives a plurality of substrates from the batch processing unit and immerses them in the first processing liquid, and the control circuit performs control to monitor the movement stop time of the substrates being transported by the first transport device, and control to set the substrates whose movement stop time exceeds a threshold before immersion in the first processing liquid as targets for rescue processing.

3. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein the link section has a first transition device for storing the substrate after immersion in the first processing liquid and before transport to the single-wafer processing unit, and the control circuit performs control to monitor the movement stop time of the substrate stored in the first transition device, and control to set the substrates for which the movement stop time exceeds a threshold after immersion in the first processing liquid as targets for rescue processing.

4. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein the link section includes a first transport device that receives a plurality of substrates at once from the batch processing unit and immerses them in the first processing liquid, a first transition device that stores the substrates after immersion in the first processing liquid and before transport to the single-wafer processing unit, and a second transport device that receives the substrates immersed in the first processing liquid from the first transport device and transports them to the first transition device, and the control circuit performs control to monitor the movement stop time of the substrates being transported by the second transport device, and control to set the substrates whose movement stop time exceeds a threshold after immersion in the first processing liquid as targets for rescue processing.

5. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein the substrate has an uneven pattern on its surface, and the repair process is a repair process for the uneven pattern.

6. The substrate processing system according to claim 5, wherein the single-wafer processing unit has a liquid processing device that rotates the substrate and supplies a second processing liquid to the substrate, and the repair process includes the liquid processing device supplying an etching solution as the second processing liquid to etch the surface of the substrate.

7. The substrate processing system according to claim 6, wherein the etching solution is SC1 (a mixture of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and water).

8. The substrate processing system according to claim 7, wherein the supply time of SC1 is 60 seconds to 200 seconds.

9. The substrate processing system according to claim 5, wherein the single-wafer processing unit has a liquid processing unit that rotates the substrate and supplies a second processing liquid to the substrate, the liquid processing unit has a second ultrasonic transducer that applies vibration to the substrate while the second processing liquid is being supplied, and the repair process includes the second ultrasonic transducer applying vibration to the substrate.

10. The substrate processing system according to claim 9, wherein the second ultrasonic transducer applies vibration to the substrate via the second processing liquid.

11. The substrate processing system according to claim 5, wherein the link portion has a first ultrasonic transducer that applies vibration to the substrate while it is immersed in the first processing liquid, and the repair process is the first ultrasonic transducer applying vibration to the substrate.

12. The substrate processing system according to claim 11, wherein the first ultrasonic transducer applies vibration to the substrate via the first processing liquid.

13. The substrate processing system according to claim 5, wherein the link portion has a first transition device for storing the substrate after immersion in the first processing liquid and before transport to the single-wafer processing unit, the first transition device has a nozzle for supplying a third processing liquid to the substrate, and the repair process includes the first transition device supplying an etching solution as the third processing liquid to etch the surface of the substrate.

14. A substrate processing method comprising processing the substrate using the substrate processing system described in any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. A program for causing a computer that controls the substrate processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 13 to execute control for monitoring the movement stop time at the link section, and control for setting substrates whose movement stop time exceeds a threshold before or after immersion in the first processing liquid as targets for rescue processing.

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